Segment 7


 		Where: South of I-85 near Archdale to US 220, near Randleman, Randolph County

Length: 13 Miles

Needed: Finish Constructing New Freeway

Current Highway signed:
Estimated Completion Date: November 2010 for First Section,
                                              Late 2012 for remaining section

I-74 will continue on a new freeway from south of I-85 near current Exit 113 in Archdale to US 220 (I-73) near Sophia, north of Asheboro, connecting to US 220 south of the current US 311 interchange along a path approximated by the red dashed line in the map above. When this specific route was chosen in 1997 it disappointed many citizens and government officials in the area since the route cuts a 1000 foot wide path directly through the city of Sophia before meeting US 220. Despite many objections, NCDOT chose this route, designated Corridor C, rather than the Corridor AA route prefered by the public at June 1997 hearings, because it cost $7 million less, avoided a complicated interchange with US 220 (I-73), and would send the least amount of pollution to the future Randleman Reservoir, preventing potential environmental problems. (1, 2) The project is listed in the 2009-2015 NCDOT STIP as Number R-2606. (3) Right-of-Way acquisition started on the western part of the route in 2003, with a total cost projected at $17.5 million. Construction on the first section, $28.5 million of the total construction cost estimated at $177 million, started on May 29, 2007 (see below). (4) This section will feature an interchange at Cedar Square Road (listed in contract documents as Exit 79) which will be the temporary end of I-74 while the remaining segment is still under construction. US 311 will be temporarily routed along Cedar Square road back to its current alignment. The US 311 route from there westward (northward) was to be redesignated US 311 Business, but in the Spring of 2009 High Point officials asked that NCDOT remove the designation where it existed in High Point, and thus it no longer will run along its proposed route to the south (see photo in Section 6). (5) The next segment totalling 7.9 miles is being built as a design-build project. This was let in August 2008 with Barnhill Contracting being the winning bidder with a cost of $99.7 million. Construction started in September 2008 and is now listed as about 20% complete. (4) There will be an additional exit where the freeway crosses the current US 311 in Sophia along with the interchange with US 220 (I-73) at the end of this segment. (6)

This segment had been dubbed the "Missing Link" by the I-74 Piedmont Corridor Group (PCG), an organization of business people, transportation officials, and others lobbying to complete I-74. They created the term in 2003 to call attention to what they saw as NCDOT's too drawn-out segmented plan to complete this portion of the highway, long after many other sections of I-74 were then scheduled to be built. The PGC hoped to put enough pressure on NCDOT to move up its construction timetable for the entire section to match work starting on Segment 6 to the west. Starting both projects at once, supporters said, would be more efficient. (7) This effort seems to have eventually paid off. While start of construction was delayed from October 2006 to May 2007, work on the first part, 5.3 miles from south of I-85 near Archdale to north of Spencer Road (SR 1929) in Glenola,(8) will began at the same time as work was started on the remaining section of Segment 6. (9) Also, whereas earlier plans called for the proposed letting for the next part of the highway, from Spencer Road to US 220 in Sophia, not to occur until after 2012 and be done in two parts, the final part not to begin a couple years after that (10), the project instead got most of the funds borrowed under the Garvee Bond Program to expedite the work that started in the latter half of 2008. These borrowed funds ($112 million) will then be paid back out of the highway fund accounts through 2019. (3) The first section should be completed by November 2010, or earlier, and the second segment may be finished by Fall 2012.

A summary of construction on the first section from west to east, with photos below, through early April 2010 (11):
The I-85/I-74 Interchange Flyover Ramp:

The flyover ramp appears to be complete in this photo from April 2010, much as it had been earlier in the year. (4/11/10)


Appearance of the Flyover Ramp in January 2010. Note the lack still of a tie in from the ramp on the left. Guardrails and asphalt need to be applied to complete the link to the previous bridge, this was still the case in April. An asphalt layer has been completed from the right side of the bridge to I-85. (1/14/10)


The ramp as it appeared in November 2009, note still the need to put in concrete walls along the bridge structure, the container units are on the future on-ramp to I-74 East. (11/8/09)


A closeup look at the transition between the flyover ramp and bridge structure, showing there still remains work to do to finish the bridge and tie it to the approaching roadway. (4/11/10)


A similar closeup from November 2009, showing there has been some progress, but there remains work to do to finish the bridge and tie it to the approaching roadway. (11/8/09)


View of progress on Flyover Ramp from I-74 East to I-85 North two months earlier, showing not much has been done since then. (9/18/09)


In mid-June the decking needed more attention, the future ramps and I-74 roadway had received at least one coat of asphalt around the I-85 interchange (6/14/09).

A view from 2 months earlier, showing the progress on constructing the flyover ramp from I-74 East, the bridge decking was in place awaiting cement pouring. (4/5/09)


Here's another view of what was in place on the bridge pier in April, part of the flyover ramp from I-74 East. (4/5/09)


View of the same bridge structure about five months earlier, not much progress here, though the bridge piers in the background have been constructed and are near completion. (11/23/08)

A completed bridge pier can be seen in the distance, from the now split Checker Road, now, since disconnected, renamed Modlin Grove Road, due to I-74 construction as of early 2008. (2/23/08)


A look further to the east shows a contractor truck (in yellow) using the I-85 North off-ramp from I-74 which is paved to where it merges with the ramp from the flyover ramp. (1/14/10)

Progress in landscaping is seen from this photo looking east of I-85 in April 2010, compare this to the photo below from three months earlier (mother nature has helped some). (4/11/10)

The look further down I-74 to the East shows the extent of the guardrail placement in early 2010. Orange barrels seen below from a couple months earlier to mark construction areas have been removed. (1/14/10)

View of the I-74 roadbed east of the I-85 interchange showing progress, including the placement of some guardrail along the westbound roadway and the completed grading of this section heading toward the NC 62 bridge. (11/8/09)

The view of progress in constructing this section is shown from looking at this photo of a similar view from June 2009. (6/14/09)

Road grading was just starting east of I-85 and west of NC 62 back in Feb. 2008. Taken just after the split of then Checker Road. (2/23/08)


By November 2008 the ramp to the above roadbed had been paved, but not the roadbed itself, which looks much like the photo below. (11/23/08)


Looking eastbound at the clearing being done for the interchange from I-85 North, September 2007.


Here's the view approaching the construction area on I-85 North, lanes were restricted in the area from 3 to 2, for I-74 construction a month earlier (September 2007).

NC 62 Bridge:  This bridge was completed in July 2009 and little has changed since:

However, here are the final stages of lanscaping the bridge occuring in June 2010. (6/20/10)
The NC 62 bridge over I-74/US 311 to the east of the I-85 interchange was largely completed in 2009 with the decking completed by February. The only remaining project was to cut down the approaches to the bridge to match the existing NC 62 roadway. This, as seen below, had been largely completed by June. The bridge was opened in July.

This now is the view is heading eastbound on NC 62 across the new bridge. By December overhead sign assemblies for the I-85 exit to the north could be seen from the bridge. (7/26/09)

Here's driving over the NC 62 bridge itself, some work remained, as seen by the orange barrels on the other side. (7/26/09)


NC 62 Bridge at left showing what remained to be done to tie the new bridge approach to existing roadway in June 2009. (6/14/09)


The view of the bridge heading east as of April 2009, at that time only grading has been mostly completed, road realignment and paving were still needed. Paving was sone in that area in the fall of 2008, since then the paving has extended past Tuttle Road to near Poole Road. (4/5/09)

Compare progress to the way the bridge appeared in October 2008, only the metal bridge supports had been placed. (10/31/08)

View now looking the other direction on NC 62 toward the bridge in January 2010, when construction in this area was near completion. (1/28/10)

About 5 months earlier, the orange barrels are protecting the growing grass surface on either side of NC 62 soon after the new bridge was open. (7/26/09)


This is the view looking west toward the NC 62 bridge in June 2009, before asphalt had been put down. (6/14/09)


The view of the grading and bridge looking west in April 2009, not as much progress, the alignment crosses a roadway here, the intersection was moved back to accomodate the new alignment of NC 62. (4/5/09)


Here's the new NC 62 roadway alignment to cross the new bridge in April 2009, view looking east on NC 62. The pavement on NC 62 to the south had not changed. (4/5/09)

View from the NC 62 Bridge looking South/East. It appears most paving and landscaping has been completed from here to the Tuttle Road Bridge. 6/20/10)

This view is from November 2008 showing the roadbed had received its first coat of asphalt heading east, but it didn't go too far around the corner based on the photos below. (11/23/08)


Here's a view to the opposite side of the bridge showing the progress of land clearing a couple miles east of NC 62 in the Fall of 2007. (September 2007)


The view looking westbound (north) toward the I-85 interchange. The gantry for the future I-85 North exit sign can be seen in the distance. (1/28/10)

Tuttle Road Bridge - This was the first bridge completed in this segment. Started in the spring of 2007, graded fill was placed up to the western edge of where the completed bridge in May 2008. The bridge was open early in August 2008. The following are photos from June, November, and December 2009, which look similar to the view in January 2010. The first photo is from April 2010 when the last coat of asphalt was placed on the bridge and surrounding roadways. Similar work was done on the bridges and approaches to the south/east:


The 'completed' Tuttle Road over I-74 in April 2010. (4/11/10)


Approaching the bridge from the east, as you can see Tuttle Road itself was also reconstructed at the time the bridge was built, several homes now though have steep driveways, such as the one on the right, just before the bridge. (6/14/09)


Here's the view of the bridge looking eastward, they may need to put more asphalt down to make it a smoother transition onto the bridge. (12/12/09)

Progress since June 2009 (below) can be seen in this photo looking east/south toward Poole Road showing the addition of the possible final asphalt layer, at least good enough for the contractor to drive on (eventually the wrong way), and seeding of the median and surrounding surface area, plus guardrails added to the future westbound roadway. (12/12/09)


An earlier view from the top of the bridge from June, the curve ahead is one of the steepest ones on this segment. (6/14/09)

This view looks west/north from the Tuttle Road bridge and shows additional work being performed and more guardrails along the highway than the month before. (12/12/09)

A similar view from November 2009 showing progress made since June in photo below. Note the start of the placement of guardrails and the progress in placing the final landscaping. (11/8/09)

A similar view looking toward NC 62 in June, note some of the road surface has recently received several layers of asphalt. (6/14/09)
Poole Road Bridge: The bridge was opened in May 2009. By April completion with all bridge structures complete and metal rebar decking had been in place. Concrete pouring was starting on the decking, NCDOT anticipated this bridge would open in June, but it was completed sooner. A final asphalt layer was placed on the bridge in April 2010.


This is a view I could not take before, looking at Poole Road approaching from the west. (6/14/09)

Here's what the completed bridge looks like heading west, as you can tell, progress was made since the photo below. (6/14/09)


Here's the view in early April showing the cement has been poured and the rebar in place to pour concrete for the side of the bridge. A truck actually crossed the bridge while I was parking to take this photo. (4/5/09)


This view of the Poole Road before construction after the road had been cut-off last fall. (10/31/08)

Looking north from the bridge shows the progress made in paving and landscaping the area around the creek bridge in June 2010. (6/20/10)

The completed asphalt layer was first placed down in early May 2010 with pavement being placed around the completed eastbound creek bridge with final landscaping starting to proceed. (5/9/10)

Progress in grading to the finished creek bridge can be seen north of the Poole Road bridge a month earlier in April. (4/11/10)

The same view in January 2010 shows earlier progress in building the bridges and the landscaping along the eastbound roadway. This section west of the bridge is the only part between NC 62 and just before Cedar Square Road which had not received at least one asphalt layer. (1/14/10)

View looking North from the Poole Road bridge in September 2009 shows progress on grading and paving at that time, plus the completion of the westbound bridge over the creek. (9/18/09)


The same view from the bridge in June. Showing the progress in completing the roadbed and the creek bridges being built about 1/4 mile away. (6/14/09)

View showing progress in median landscaping south of the Poole Road Bridge in May 2010, the asphalt continues south almost to the Cedar Square Road interchange. (5/9/10)

Looking east four months earlier in January 2010 shows progress in constructing the eastbound roadway over the winter. Notice the highway looks less complete with the grass turning brown in this area since the fall (photo below). (1/14/10)

The view looking east/southbound toward Cedar Square Road in September 2009 showing the progress in grading and paving the road over the summer. (9/18/09)

The view looking east/southbound in June 2009 does shows the progress made over the summer in grading and paving. (6/14/09)

The view of the Poole Road Bridge from the new Poole Road alignment in September 2009. Compare the size of plant growth along side the freeway to that in the photo below. (9/18/09)

The view approaching the bridge before it opened in April 2009. (4/5/09)

Workers using boring machines in anticipation of construction of the new Poole Road bridge in the Fall of 2008. (11/03/08)

View of completed water runoff drain along the westbound I-74 lanes next to Poole Road in May 2010. (5/9/10)

A number of trucks are parked along the westbound lanes as seen from Poole Road. Apparently asphalt trucks waiting for another batch, the contractor had problems with getting the quantities of asphalt needed, slowing progress in May and June. (6/20/10)

View a month earlier, looking at progress completing the freeway running parallel to the relocated Poole Road in May 2010, at that time only one truck was left parked over the weekend. (5/9/10)

Looking at the future freeway from the relocated Poole Road in April 2010. Notice not much progress is observed when compared to the photo below from the fall of 2009. (4/11/10)

A similar view of the future freeway in October 2009. At this time there was noticable progress in grading and placing asphalt as compared to the photo below that was taken a year earlier. (10/12/09)

Here's what the graded freeway looked like from the new section of Poole Road leading to the bridge in October 2008. The road has been moved out of the freeway alignment and built south to connect with Cedar Square Road (the original road intersected with US 311).  (10/31/08)
The Cedar Square Road Bridge and Interchange: Bringing the freeway by the bridge down to grade is ongoing, work was completed on the bridge and the new alignment for the road on 11/17/2009, so traffic can access US 311 1/2 mile south (east). The former alignment was excavated to connect the existing roadbeds and exit ramps for the interchange on either side.

Despite the number of trucks parked below during May, little progress was made on the Cedar Square offramp in the month since. (6/20/10)


It looked though that most of the activity would occur near Cedar Square Road in May, based on the number of construction vehicles parked near the eastbound offramp. (5/9/10)

View of Cedar Square Bridge area progress in June 2009. (6/20/10)

A closer look on progress in grading under the bridge, there's less grading in the right lane, but this part of the freeway will not be needed until the section to US 220 opens in 2012. (5/9/10)

A month earlier the piles of dirt in front of the bridge are all that is left of the former alignment of Cedar Square Road. Work  continued to bring the freeway down to grade so that the asphalt in the foreground can continue under the bridge. (4/11/10)


View heading across the Cedar Square Road Bridge in December 2009, the bridge is 3 lanes wide to accomodate a left turn lane for the I-74 East onramp on the other side. (12/12/09)

Progress on building the eastbound offramp in April 2010. Work to complete the ramp has to wait until all the dirt from the former alignment of Cedar Square Road can be removed. (4/11/10)

View under the open Cedar Square Road bridge showing the progress in grading the future freeway, only the westbound lanes need to be completed at this time. In March paving started on the other side of the bridge and further east/south toward Spencer Road (1/14/10)


The view of the bridge and roadway progress in early November 2009, 9 days before it opened. (11/8/09)
 

The bridge as it appeared in October 2009. Final work was being done on the bridge deck and the side walls to the bridge were almost complete on the north side. (10/12/09)


View a month earlier in September 2009 shows the support beams for the bridge have been placed and work was starting on pouring concrete for the bridge deck. (9/18/09)


Quite a difference in comparing this photo from the one 3 months later above, at that time construction of the center pier appeared to be complete, but there were no signs of bridge decking materials in the area as of yet. (6/14/09)


Here's what the bridge pier construction looked like with what would be the new alignment of Cedar Square Road in April 2009. (4/5/09).

View of end of graded roadway in December 2009. The now old alignment of Cedar Square Rd. needed removal before grading (and paving) could continue. (12/12/09)

View of Cedar Square Interchange from new alignment of Poole Road, curving left to meet old Cedar Square Road to intersect new alignment (4/11/10)

View looking across the old alignment of Cedar Square Road a month earlier along what will be the eastbound roadway, before work started on removing the old roadway (The Poole Road connection had not been completed at this time). (3/10/10)

View looking from what remains of the old Cedar Square alignment looking back toward Poole Road in January 2010.  Progress had been made extending asphalt to the eastbound interchange ramp, but most of the former Cedar Square road embankment still needed to be removed before more progress to the east could continue. Poole Road now is extended over the old Cedar Square alignment back to the east side of the bridge. (1/14/10)


View of the completed section of the eastbound onramp a month earlier with final grading to start after the old Cedar Square Road is removed (12/12/09)

Looking back toward the Poole Road Bridge in November 2009, progress had been made in excavating the eastbound off-ramp and placing asphalt on the future westbound roadway. (11/8/09)

Progress in building the eastbound offramp in November 2009 from Poole Road. (11/8/09)

A close look on progress in constructing the eastbound off-ramp to Cedar Square Road (the temporary end to I-74) a month earlier in October 2009. (10/12/09)

The beginning of work on the eastbound offramp can be seen in this photo from September 2009. The high ground with the barrels behind is the current Cedar Square Road which will be removed once the new bridge is completed. (9/18/09)

The view of the opened new alignment of Cedar Square Road heading west toward the bridge, the old road to the right will become an extension of Poole Road. (12/12/09)

Photo from a month earlier showing the connection between the existing and new alignment of Cedar Square Road almost complete. (11/8/09)

Work on preparing the connection to the new bridge from the existing Cedar Square Road going on in October 2009. The south side wall of the bridge still needed to have concrete poured, but the road was close to completion. (10/12/09)

View in early March showing progress in removing old alignment of Cedar Square Road. Removing rest is complicated by need to move existing intersection of Poole Road to the east. This was completed later in March and the remaining westbound lanes graded. (3/10/10)

View of progress in excavating the freeway bed up to Cedar Square Road, the dirt ramp on the right allows construction trucks to stay in the construction area and simply cross the current Cedar Square Road when necessary (necessitating the workers with stop signs seen above (close to the convenient porta-potty). (10/12/09)

Another view from October showing the extent of construction on the west side of the freeway bed, and the other worker with the stop sign for eastbound traffic. (10/12/09)


The view in April 2009 from Poole Road to the current Cedar Square Road at the start of construction beyond for the new bridge. (4/5/09)

A closer look at the westbound onramp. This and the eastbound offramp are the only ramps that need to be completed for the interchange to be opened. (5/9/10)

View from the Cedar Square Bridge looking toward the end of the first part of the contract at Spencer Road. (6/20/10)

View of progress in creating the westbound offramp and grading the future 2012 onramp across for the end of Poole Road. (5/9/10)


View across Cedar Square at I-74 interchange ramps a month earlier, not much progress from January, as seen in the photo below. (4/11/10)

The same view in January. The intersection will be controlled by traffic signals when the westbound onramp is open.    


Both the future on and offramps from the westbound freeway will intersect on the south side of Cedar Square Road. This photo is of progress where the ramps meet at the intersection in December 2009. (12/12/09)

Photo showing the progress of connecting the off and onramps to the westbound freeway in December 2009. (12/12/09)
  The Temporary Routing of US 311 along Cedar Square Road:

The view of the road from the future freeway to current US 311, with final paving done in early April 2010. (4/11/10)






Until the I-74 freeway is complete to US 220, all traffic to and from the freeway will use the new Cedar Square Road alignment seen above in December 2009 to connect to the existing US 311. Note the large concrete median, meant to prevent easy U-turns along this stretch? (12/12/09)


In November 2009 the new alignment south of the Cedar Square bridge was complete and traffic signals had been put up and placed on yellow flash mode in preparation for the opening of the intersection. US 311 will be routed from the freeway to meet its current alignment at this point. The old alignment was to be designated US 311 Business according to plans, but NCDOT successfully petitioned AASHTO to remove that designation along US 311's old route on Main Street through High Point from Business 85. New signage put up on I-85 in March 2010 indicates it will not be signed here either. (13)(11/8/09)


The same view from just south of the current Cedar Square Road intersection two months before, the new intersection is where the car and building are in the center of the photo.  (9/18/09)

This was the view of the end of the new Cedar Square Road at US 311 in October which will temporarily take I-74 traffic to and from US 311 when the freeway first opens. In November the road appeared complete with the exception of line striping. Notice the future signal poles on the right and electronic loops for the signals have already been placed under the asphalt on the bottom right. (10/12/09)

The end of the US 311 construction zone, The next traffic light is for Spencer Road, the end point for the first part of the project. (9/18/09)


Here's the view approaching the construction zone from the opposite direction on US 311 North. (10/12/09)



The End of Phase 1 of the Construction Project:

Construction equipment as seen from Spencer Road, the official end to the first phase of the project. (5/9/10)


An earlier look at the end of the first phase of the project just north of Spencer Road in September 2009. (9/18/09)

Photos of Work on the Last Phase, from Spencer Road to US 220:

More signs of work could be seen in November 2009 for the next segment to be constructed from Spencer Road to US 220 along US 311. But there were some signs work was starting:

This road work ahead sign had appeared along US 311 on the way through Sophia in September. (9/18/09)

Progress in clearing around the future Sophia interchange in May 2010, looking from southbound US 311 (5/9/10)


Progress in clearing around the future Sophia interchange in May 2010, notice new lanes being put in for the future alignment of currrent 311. (5/9/10)

This intersection of US 311 and Wall Brothers Road will be the location of the future offramp from I-74 East. Wall Brothers Road will be relocated 1/4 to the west (north) and tie into what is now US 311 there. (11/8/09)

Progress in grading the area around the interchange in March 2010. (3/10/10)

The start of excavation can be seen back in November behind what was the pipeline relocation construction seen a month before. (11/8/09)

This was the appearance of grading of earth to move a pipeline in September. This is approximately where the new freeway will cross existing US 311. (9/18/09)

A look at the construction at the future interchange site from the opposite direction in October. An e-mail from a resident and a check of the plans confirmed they are moving the utilities in order to construct the interchange with existing US 311. (10/12/09) 

A view at the end of the construction zone along North US 311 in Sophia. (10/12/09)
Construction of the US 220 Interchange
There is more evidence of construction on this part of the project. In August 2009 jersey barriers went up and construction equipment appeared along US 220 between the current US 311 exit and the Pineview Street exit. 

Road construction signs can be seen from the onramp from US 311 to US 220 South (Future I-73/74). (9/18/09)

The signs indicate the placement of barriers along the right shoulder (there on the left too, but not mentioned) where the ramps to and from I-74 will be built. (9/18/09)


Approaching the interchange construction area in May 2009, showing progress on building the two interchange bridges and ramps. (5/9/10)


View approaching the construction zone a month earlier, note progress on the right side bridges compared to that in the photo below. (4/11/10)

Closeup view of the west side of the second bridge for the ramp to I-73 (US 220) North in May 2010, note the grading behind the bridge support structure. (5/9/10)
 
A close look a month earlier at the I-74 West Flyover ramp, this ramp will go both over US 220 and the bridge carrying traffic to I-73 north (4/11/10)

A closer look at the second ramp going southbound, notice this is lower and made of concrete blocks, as opposed to the metal work in the previous bridge support (4/11/10)

View of the construction site approaching on US 220 North in May 2010. (5/9/10)
 

Closeup of the two bridge piers and progress on the northbound side of US 220 building the future interchange ramps in May 2010. (5/9/10)


The progress on the two piers for the flyover ramps in March, the crane is completing work on the second pier. (3/10/10)

Progress in building up the grade for the I-74 East flyover ramp looking from US 220 Southbound in May 2010. (5/9/10)


The first piers for the flyover bridges and the initial phases of land clearing for the I-74 to I-73 north onramps can be seen across the southbound US 220 lanes. (11/8/09)

The cranes in the background used to help start construction of the piers for the flyover ramps in November 2009 as seen from North US 220. (11/8/09)

Closer view northbound in October of construction equipment in the median before the start of construction of the 2 flyover ramps that will cross US 220 (I-73) (10/12/09)

View of progress in interchange area as of April 2010, with the center supports for the two I-74 ramps in the distance. (4/11/10)

The view of construction progress on the flyover ramps and interchange clearing in March 2010. (3/10/10)

View northbound showing progress in clearing the construction zone a few months earlier in November 2009. (11/8/09)


Here is the construction area in September 2009 heading southbound with barriers on the shoulders surrounding the construction equipment that was then present.  (9/18/09)

View of progress on Westbound I-74 ramp to flyover bridge from southbound US 220 in April 2010. (4/11/10)

View of progress a month earlier in March in creating northbound ramp to flyover bridge heasing northbound. (3/10/10)

Six months earlier you could see the start of the removal of trees across the road along the northbound roadway. Land needed to be cleared for the I-74 West onramp and the flyover ramp to US 220 (I-73) North. (9/18/09)

Progress in tree removal in September 2009 and construction equipment can be seen better looking across toward the northbound lanes of the highway. (9/18/09)

View going northbound in October showing progress in building what will be the flyover ramp taking I-74 West to High Point, this is same area seen in photo above in September. (10/12/09)


View in October on new construction area which will be for the offramp from I-74 East to I-73 North (10/12/09)

The construction zone ends southbound just before the Pineview Street bridge, the zone is about two miles in size. (9/18/09)

Comment: After this section of freeway is built to replace US 311, decommission this intrastate US route which doesn't meet current AASHTO U.S. Route guidelines (at least 200 miles long, in more than 1 state). The section north of I-40 (not along I-74's route) could be NC 311. NCDOT has already decided to decommission the old route and not call it Business US 311.

Here's a map from the Greensboro News & Record showing the new sections of I-74 under construction:


Sources: NC Transportation Map 2001.
(1) Hall, Tony. 1997. "I-74 Coming to a Town Where It's Not Welcome." News & Record (Greensboro, NC). Sept. 27: B1.
(2) Muschick, Paul. 1999. "Route for 311 Bypass to be Unveiled in Randleman." News & Record (Greensboro, NC). August 9.
(3) NCDOT. June 2008. State Transportation Improvement Program, 2009-2015, Division 8, p. 8-27.
(4) NCDOT. 2007. Construction Progress Report, Contract C201715, Downloaded June 15, 2009.
(5) NCDOT. 2006. Contract Documents, NCDOT Signing Section, Contract C201296, Project R-0609-A. Downloaded from link at: http://dotw-xfer01.dot. state.nc.us/dsplan/2007%20Highway%20Lettings/4-17-2007/ on 2/23/07.
(6) NCDOT. 2008. "Transportation Board Awards More than $265 Million in Highway Contracts for 29 Counties." Press Release. NCDOT Communications Division, 8/7/08.
(7) Kimbrough, Pat. 2003. "Randolph Leaders Lobby State for I-74." High Point (NC) Enterprise. Dec. 1.
(8) NCDOT. 2007. Program Development Branch. "12 Month Tentative Letting List for April 17, 2007" (Typically construction projects are approved and/or start a month after the project is let, this project is to start the last week in May).
(9) Dominello, Amy. 2005. "U.S. 311 Bypass Work Delayed." News & Record (Greensboro, NC). May 2, downloaded from http://blog.news-record.com/staff/fastforward/archives/2005/05/from_sundays_pa.html, Oct. 1.
(10) NCDOT. Sept. 2004. R-2606 Project Breakdown Map.
(11) Information from e-mails from Bill Travers 3/6/08, 5/23/08, 8/11/08, 10/20/08, 2/7/09, 8/5/09, 3/14/09.
(12) Information from e-mail from Ronald Shaw 3/6/09.
(13) AASHTO. 2009. Applications to Standing Committee on Highways, Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering, October 1. NC Petition Regarding US 311 Business in Guilford County. Downloaded from: http://cms.transportation.org/sites/route/docs/NC%20Elim%20US%20311%20Bus%20Guilford%20Aug% 2009.pdf 10/2/09.

US 311 shield courtesy of David R. Kendrick's Shield's Up!